Be Not Scornful
April 22nd 2009,
By Mark Hanson.
For Reading and meditation: Psalm 1:1-6
Important verses:
Verse 1: Blessed is the man, who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful.
Verse 6: For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.
Being involved in civil liberties politics can bring to oneself a cynical, even judgemental attitude. Many commentators are so dismayed by the erosion to basic liberties that there is a suspicion, whether voiced or not, that everything the government does is sinister.
I am as much prone to this as anyone else, yet the Lord gives guidance to us in His Word.
In Psalm 1, Christians are advised not to be partakers with the “scornful”. Why? Because by meditating on God’s Word rather than following the ways of the ungodly, we shall be blessed.
So what are we to do when we see injustice, whether in civil liberties or any other instance?
We must continue to do our best to see good, to trust in the Lord, to acknowledge the good that exists, and not to join in the chorus of untempered criticism.
Note Jesus’ example: he was fiercely critical of the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, yet we find Him instructing “Do as they say, but not as they do.”
So, whilst criticism of those engaged in injustice is valid, we must be careful not to be partakers in their ungodliness. We must always temper it with love and mercy.
Yet, as these injustices go on, how can we ensure that we stick close to God and not lose heart? We can look at Psalm 1. In verses 4-6, we find two great promises: Firstly, the ungodly shall perish. Their destiny is to be condemned. God is Just, and He will see Justice done. Secondly, God knows the way of the righteous. He will come in glory, and bring His people into His Everlasting Kingdom.
